Note:

*CBD refers to Institute of Koorie Education – Community Based Delivery

This unit may not be included as a part of a 10 point accredited major sequence in psychology (as required for application for further study in psychology).

Content

This unit provides students with an applied and theoretical understanding of the criminal justice system and the range of psychological issues that arise within it.

The unit is presented in four sections.

First, students are provided with an overview of the criminal justice system, and the roles that psychologists play in this system. The second section introduces students to psychological explanations of crime. General theories of offending are discussed as well as what is known about why people commit different types of violent and sexual crimes. Next, students learn how psychological input may be utilised in the detection and investigation of crime. Finally, students discover the role that psychology plays both in the courtroom and in the ongoing management of convicted offenders.